Israel Insists on Unnecessary Provocations Against Iran

Friday, October 22, 2021

Lucas Leiroz, research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Amid constant tensions in the Middle East, Tel Aviv seems to insist on an outdated war mentality that threatens the security of the entire region. Recently, the Israeli media announced the news that the government had approved a billion-dollar budget to prepare a military attack on Iran. The case has been interpreted as a real provocation, having generated controversy around the world. Experts fear this could be the starting point for a new security crisis in the Middle East.

According to the Israeli media agency “Channel 12″, Tel Aviv has approved a new defense budget, valued at around 5 billion shekels, which is equivalent to more than 1.5 billion dollars. Despite the high value, the most impressive thing about the case is the “justification”: the preparation for a possible attack against Iranian nuclear installations. In other words, the Israeli government appears to be officially preparing an aggression against the Iranian territory.

The money will be invested in the purchase and manufacture of heavy weapons to be used in the mega-operation that is being planned against Tehran. Among the equipment being acquired by the Israeli army, there are various types of military aircraft, intelligence drones and special ammunition, which reveals the seriousness of the situation.

Interestingly, the Israeli measure was revealed just a few days after the US Air Force announced it had operated a successful test of its new anti-bunker bomb, called “GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrator”. Considering that most of the Iranian nuclear installations are underground and could only be destroyed through an attack with strong anti-bunker artillery, it is possible that communication between the Israeli and American governments in order to create a joint strategy is taking place.

Last month, Israeli army chief of staff, Aviv Kochavi, had already reported that plans for military action against Iran’s nuclear program were progressing and accelerating. The statement had complemented Naftali Bennett’s speech at the UN, in which the Israeli prime minister promised that his country would not allow Iran to build a nuclear bomb. In fact, it appears that the idea of promoting open violence against Iran has become an official policy on the part of the the Israeli State, which violates all elementary norms of diplomacy, even for openly enemy nations.

The insistence on the obsolete discourse about the supposed Iranian project to produce nuclear weapons is one of the biggest problems in this type of situation. For years, Israel and the West have pointed to Tehran as having a plan to build weapons of mass destruction, even though there has never been consistent evidence for such allegations. Repeatedly, the Iranian government denies any intention to fabricate nuclear weapons, claiming that this would be sinful and illegal under Islamic law. Considering that Iran is governed by an Islamic theocracy, it is not reasonable to assume that the state will build such weapons.

In practice, what is happening is not a response to any “advance” in the Iranian nuclear program, but simply an unnecessary provocation to try to put pressure on Tehran. Like their Western counterparts, Israeli strategists seem to follow a bellicose attitude that assumes that the more intimidation there is in the international arena, the greater the chances of success in guaranteeing national interests. This view is increasingly rejected around the world, but Israel simply ignores global trends and continues to conserve its plans based on unsubstantiated speeches and narratives.

On the other hand, Iran may be close to starting a “symbolic response” with military drills. The Iranian Air Force is preparing to begin its 10th annual air exercise, called “Defenders of Velayat”. Although this event is annual, this year it looks like it will be bigger than usual, with more equipment being used and bolder maneuvers being conducted – demonstrating a clear attempt to display strength and power. ​Iranian exercises will be various, involving many modern equipment such as attack aircraft, interceptors, drones, and transport and reconnaissance planes. Since Monday, when the Israeli special budget was announced, a strong military propaganda has been launched in Iran encouraging people to support the Air Force festival. In addition to a show of force, the government wants the event to serve as a response to the Iranian population itself, which felt threatened by the news coming from Israel.

So, considering these facts, it is unacceptable for Israel to officially maintain plans to attack Iran as there is no justification for doing so. Iran’s nuclear program is clearly restricted to peaceful purposes, and so far none of the Western claims that weapons are being built have been proven – and even if there were indeed any weapons of mass destruction in Iran, it would not be up to Israel to take this type of attitude. The UN must take a position condemning Tel Aviv or a serious security crisis will begin soon.

Source: InfoBrics